Abstract
Currently, it has become an accepted norm nearly all over the globe to teach and assess soft skills. However, in Nigeria, it is an emerging area of interest that needs to be addressed squarely. In the light of the fore-going, this study validated a modified version of Measuring and Assessment Soft Skills (MASS) (an instrument developed and used by twenty European researchers from five countries), for use in the Nigeria setting. It was administered on a randomly selected sample from the northern and southern parts of Nigeria. Survey design was used in the study. The 15-point instrument was administered on 600 participants each from the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria with a total of 1,200 participants. This instrument also included method for teaching and assessing soft skills. Factor analysis was used to analyze the data in Section B of the instrument, mean and standard deviation for Sections C and D. The results show that the soft skills needed to enhance performances in workplaces are teachable and examinable in Nigeria. It was, therefore, recommended that examining bodies should consider adopting or adapting the instrument for use in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Highlights
There is no doubt that there are skills and abilities necessary for success in life
Education Equals Economics (E3) Alliance [2] asserted that soft skills is a set of skills, abilities and traits that pertain to personality, attitude and behaviours rather than formal technical knowledge
The steps for retaining reliable factors validate Kerlinger et al [10] and Mertler et al [11] which stated that only those components whose eigenvalues are greater than 1 should be retained; they explained further that amount of total variance, the scree plot as well as residual for achieving the model fit are part of the essential factors for consideration
Summary
There is no doubt that there are skills and abilities necessary for success in life. Such skills and behavioural competences are often latent in nature, yet they are required to achieve success in life endeavours. Kechagias [3] expressed soft skills as intra and inter-personal or socio-emotional skills essential for personal development, social participation and workplace success. They include such skills as ability to work on multi-disciplinary teams, effective communication, cultural awareness and expression, diligence, adaptability and honesty among others
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